side them, once
inside she would be buried beneath a descending mass.

A few feet within the arch she discovered her soldier.

He had made for himself a bed out of an old mattress which he had
dragged from some other room, using a torn covering which once had been
a beautiful eiderdown quilt. As he had no pillow and his face was
completely uncovered, Sally realized he was in a stupor and so ill that
he had not heard her approach or her repeated calls.

Fortunately Sally Ashton was essentially practical.

Moreover, in an extraordinary fashion for so young and presumably
selfish a girl she immediately forgot herself. She was living in an
atmosphere of unselfishness and devotion to others, so the thought that
the object of her present care was not a worthy object did not at the
moment influence her.

In a matter-of-fact and skillful fashion Sally first poured a small
amount of milk inside her patient's parted lips. Except that the soldier
became half aroused by her act and seemed to wish more, there was no
difficulty. Then unwrapping the arm which she had bandaged the day
before, she cleansed the wound a second time with the antiseptic she had
brought for the purpose.

Afterwards, realizing that she must find the water she had been told was
still to be had in one of the rooms of the chateau, without considering
her previous fears, Sally climbed and crawled through one dangerous
opening after the other, in spite of her awkwardness in any unaccustomed
physical exertion. Finally she discovered the water. Then in a half
broken pitcher, secured in passing through one of the wrecked bedrooms,
she carried a small amount to the drawing-room.

Without hesitation or embarrassment the girl bathed her undesired
patient's face and hands. He had fine, strong features; there was
nothing in the face to suggest weakness or cowardice. Still it remained
impossible to decide his nationality or whether he was an officer or
merely a common soldier, since his outfit was a patchwork of oddly
assorted garments.

Sally's acquaintance with uniforms was limited. She knew that the French
wore the horizon blue and the British and Americans a nearly similar
shade of khaki.

Her patient's outfit was like no other she had seen.

Yet over these minor details she did not trouble. In spite of her lack
of experience, Sally was convinced that the soldier was now suffering
from blood poison due to neglect of his wound and the unhealthy and
unsanita